Coal conveyer



July 21, 1931. w. B. WILLIAMS 1,815,135

coAL CONVEYER Filed July 2, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l W ll ll wmhm ian B.Mlliams,

July 21, 1931. W. B. WILLIAMS coAL CONVEYER Filed July 2. 1929 3Sheets-Sheet 2 IVA M a L n m a 5 a 1 0 w 6 7D i w 1 6 A I vw July 21,1931. w. a. WILLIAMS 1,815,135

COAL CONVEYER Filed July 2. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 llhaluiylomB. Wazzzms,

Patented July 21, 1931 ET QFFE QE WASHINGTON B. WILLIAMS, OF KENWOOD,MARYLAND COAL CONVEYER Application filed. July 2,

The object of this invention is primarily to enable a motor operateddelivery vehicle to stand parallel with the street curb and to dischargeits contents into a conveyer '5 which extends at right angles to thecurb and leads into a building or other place of storage, the conveyerconsisting broadly of sections which may be carried in knockdown orfolded form on the sides of the '10 vehicle and which, when set up, areconnected serially with each other and driven D118 from another and froma supplemental shaft operated by the power plant of the deliveryvehicle.

Reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification and in which like reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, in which Fig. 1 is aView in side elevation of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, the chute being shown in dottedlines,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional 25 view through adjoiningend portions of two conveyer sections,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof, parts being broken away and othersshown in section,

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through line 5-5 ofFig. 3,

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view through a section of theconveyer in collapsed or folded position,

Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the conveyershowing the feed chute and a fragment of the driving shaft,

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view through oneof the conveyer rollerson the line 8-8 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical sectional View through one side of thetransporting truck body showing conveyer sections 45 stored on the sidethereof for transportation,

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a modified form of coupling drivinggearing for adjacent sections, and

Fig. 11 is a transverse vertical sectional 1929. Serial No. 375,447.

view therethrough taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 2 designates the body of amotor truck or the like in which the coal or other material istransported, 3 the vehicle axle, and 4 the traction wheels thereof. Thesaid body 3 is provided with the usual discharge spout 5 from which thecoalor like material is discharged into a chute 6 and fed by gravitytherefrom into the conveyer. From the motor truck leads a supplementaldrive shaft 7 composed of universally jointed sections, this shaft beingdriven from the power plant of the motor truck and driving the conveyer.

The conveyer is composed-of coupled sections, each consisting of sheetmetal side channels 9, to the upper end lower flanges 10 of which arehinged metal wings '12 by means of hinges 14. J ournaled between thewebs of the side channels 9 are'rollers around which the endlessconveyer belts 15 pass. The conveyer sections are alike, except at theend of the first section to which power from the motor truck is applied.At this end, the roller 16 has its ends formed with trunnions 17suitably journaled in said side plates or channels 9 and the bore 18 ofthis roller is polygonal F in cross section to drivingly receive thepolygonal drive shaft end section 19. This shaft section 19, whentheconveyer is set up being merely inserted into the bore of the saidroller 16. The rollers atthe other end of the first conveyer section andall the other end rollers, as indicated by the numeral 20, are similarand each has trunnions 21 journaled in bearings 22 on the inner faces ofthe side channel plates 9 and spur gears 24 on said trunnions 21 at bothends of the rollers.

In order that one conveyer section will transmit power to the followingconveyer section to drive the same, an insertible spur gear 25 journaledon a swinging arm 26 and adjustably carried by each hinged side wingplate 12 is provided. hen the conveyer sections are connected together,as by any suitable fastening means 27, such lot as hooks or otherdetachable devices, a spur gear 25 is entered between adjacent spurgears 24 or adjacent conveyer sections into mesh with such gears 24,this being permitted by the slot and pin mountings 28 and 29respectively. A spur gear 25 is provided at each end of all of theconveyer sections, except the first such section, but on opposite sidesof the conveyer belt of each section, and the said first conveyersection has only one such spur gear 25 which is only at its end oppositeto the driving roller 16. The purpose of these spur gears is todrivingly couple the belts of adjacent sections, and since the conveyersections are reversible, that is, they may be turned end for end or topfor bottom, one of the spur gears 25 of one or the other conveyersections is always available for coupling the sections together. Nuts 30may be employed to retain the spur gears 25 in meshed relation with thespur gears 24. The spur gear 25 which is not utilized for drivinglycoupling the gears 2 1 is swung to an inoperative position where it maybe secured by tightening the nut 30 or may hang by gravity in thatposition.

The side channels 9 of each section are spaced apart by cross rods 35,and other rollers 36 are suitably journaled at intervals between saidchannel plates 9 to prevent sagging of the belts 15 of the varioussections when under load. The flanges 10 of the channel plates 9terminate short of the ends of the sections to permit insertion of thespur gears 25 between the gears 24:, and these flanges are supposed toextend close enough to the belts to prevent material entrance of thecoal or other material conveyed from leaking over the side edges of thebelts. Any suitable means may be employed for holding the side wingplates 12 unfolded in vertical position, such as the cross braces 38having opposite forked ends 39 which engage over the edges of saidplates 12-. The cross braces which hold the bottom wing plates 12 may beplaced upon the ground and the conveyer sections placed thereon. Insteadof these separate cross braces 88, another form of brace which ispermanently carried by the conveyer sections may be adopted.

The conveyer sections are adapted to be folded and carried by bracketson the side or sides of the motor truck (see Fig. 9), as many sectionsbeing carried as will be needed, but a first section always beingcarried. When the wing plates 12 are collapsed, they fold inwardly uponthe belt as in Fig. 6, the gears 25 being swung to the position shownand folded down with the wing plates 12. Thus it will be seen that whenfolded each conveyer section forms a box like structure, virtuallywithout projections, so that they may be stacked on the side of themotor truck body, and receive rough handling without damage resultingthereto.

In the modified form illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11, a boxing isprovided at each end of the sections, except the power receiving end ofthe first section, which is the same as in the preferred form, with aboxing 40 between the flanges 10 of the side channels 9. Wing plates 12are hinged at 14: to these flanges 10 as in the other form. The rollers20 for the conveyer belt 15 have trunnions 21 journaled in the boxings40 and upon these trunnions are fixed spur gears 24 with which mesh thecoupling spur gears 25 swingingly mounted on arms 26. These arms 26 haveslots 28' receiving pins 29 provided with tightening nuts 80 permittingentering the gears 25 into mesh between the gears 2 1 or permitting thesame to be swung out of such meshing relation. It is immaterial if aspur gear 25 remains in mesh with one of the spur gears 24 when suchgear 25 is not employed for drivingly coupling the conveyer sections.

The wing plates 12 or 12 not only form supports to keep a saggingconveyer belt well off the ground, but serve to retain the coal or othermaterial on the belt without spilling over the sides of the conveyer,and when folded over upon the belt completely inclose all parts thatmight be injured through careless handling of the conveyer sections.

What is claimed:

1. The combination with a motor operated delivery vehicle, of a conveyerconstructed of serially'related and driven sections, means for drivingthe conveyer from a power shaft of said vehicle, each section beingconstructed to fold into box-like form with no projecting moving parts,and means for carrying collapsed sections on the side of the vehicle instacked relation.

2. The combination with a motor operated delivery vehicle, of a conveyercomposed of sections serially arranged on the ground and each successivesection driven from a preceding one, and means for driving the firstsection from a power shaft of the vehicle, any of the sections beingreversible top for bottom.

3. The combination "with a motor operated delivery vehicle, of aconveyer composed of sections serially arranged on the ground and eachsuccessive section driven from a preceding one, and means for drivingthe first section from a power shaft of the vehicle, any of the sectionsbeing reversible top for bottom, and any of the sections except thefirst being reversible end for end.

4. A conveyer, comprising a frame, a conveying element arranged therein,upper side members hinged to the frame and foldable from a plane atright angles to that of the conveyer element to one parallel therewith,

and similar lower side members the upper side members serving to confinethe conveyed material and the lower ones serving to support the conveyerelement off the ground.

5. In a conveyer, the combination of a frame, an endless conveyerelement arranged therein, a pair of spaced parallel side members hingedto the upper side of the frame and another pair of parallel side membershinged to the under side of the frame, the members of each pair beingfoldable toward each other into the same plane and into a plane parallelwith the endless conveyer element, either pair of side members beingadapted to support the frame and its associated parts or to confine thematerial being conveyed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WASHINGTON B. WILLIAMS.

